A41536:304
The trial of a Christians growth in mortification, purging out corruption, or vivification, bringing…The tryall of a Christians growth in mortification, purging out corruption, or vivification, bringing…
The trial of a Christians growth in mortification, purging out corruption, or vivification, bringing forth more fruit a treatise handling this case, how to discern our growth in grace : affording some helps rightly to judge thereof by resolving some tentations, clearing some mistakes, answering some questions, about spiritual growth : together with other observations upon the Parable of the vine, John 15. 1, 2 verses / by Tho. Goodwin.The tryall of a Christians growth in mortification, purging out corruption, or vivification, bringing forth more fruit a treatise handling this case, how to discerne our growth in grace : affording some helps rightly to judge thereof by resolving some tentations, clearing some mistakes, answering some questions, about spiritual growth : together with other observations upon the Parable of the vine, John 15. 1, 2 verses / by Tho. Goodwin.
London: printed by J.G. for R. Dawlman, 1650
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Again, fourthly, God may leave a Christian of more grace and growth, to more stirring of corruptions, in case he means yet to bring him to a higher pitch of humiliation, and that by sins. It is in this his dealing of leaving men to corruptions, and the vigorous conflicts with them, as it is in his leaving his people sometimes to those other evils of afflictions. God humbleth ⟨p. 93⟩his, either by afflictions or by sins, and his manner in both is sometimes alike; you shall see one who hath attained to a great measure of grace already, and that by affliction, and yet never to be out of the fire, but God still followeth him with one affliction or another; whereas one of less growth and grace, who in that regard hath more need, shall have fewer afflictions in his course: And what is the reason of this difference? it is not that the grown Christian hath simply more need of affliction then the other, but because God intends to bring him on yet to a further degree of grace. As refiners of sugar taking sugars out of the same chest, some thereof they melt but once, and another part of it they melt and refine again and again; not that that which they refine twice, hath more dross in it, but because they would have it more refined, double refined. And as God deals thus in afflictions, so also in leaving of his people to the stirring of corruptions, which of all afflictions is the greatest to humble a holy heart. And thus in experience it is found, that he doth sometimes leave a grown Christian to conflict with corruptions more then a weaker Christian; not that he hath more in him, but because he means to bring on that grown Christian to a further degree of humiliation, he is not humbled as he means to have him yet. And whereas God humbleth some men by afflictions, he humbleth others by sins; and nothing humbleth more then sins, for crosses do but humble by revealing sin, as the cause; and nothing will humble a grown Christian more then to see such shameful foul corruptions still stirring in him, the greatest aggravation of which to him will be in this, that after so long a time, such lusts should be so lively in him, to have such gross faults in his exercises after he hath been so long at school, this shames him; For a grown Christian to be disguised with a corruption; and when his hair is grown, to have it shaven off, as Davids messengers were ashamed of it;
Againe, fourthly, God may leave a Christian of more grace and growth, to more stirring of corruptions, in case he means yet to bring him to a higher pitch of humiliation, and that by sins. It is in this his dealing of leaving men to corruptions, and the vigorous conflicts with them, as it is in his leaving his people sometimes to those other evils of afflictions. God humbleth